Sports360AZ
By Jack McCarthy
If you were a part of the group that said the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament was a bore, the Round of 32 made it all worth it. From a No. 1 seed going down to major conference domination, the final 16 teams provide many storylines to follow the rest of the way.
Jaden Bradley is the key to unlocking a deep run for Arizona
The Wildcats are filled with talent, from freshmen superstars in Koa Peat and Brayden Burries to talented vets in Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka. But to unlock the Final Four run Arizona is due for, it’ll be the unofficial senior leader Jaden Bradley’s job.
JADEN BRADLEY COAST-TO-COAST! @ArizonaMBB pic.twitter.com/8hkSTldVLi
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026
Newly hired Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun, who coached on the Utah State side in Arizona’s Round of 32 game, had nothing but praise for Bradley.
“If they’re going to win a national championship or get to the Final Four, in my opinion, Bradley’s going to get them there,” Calhoun said.
Bradley took over against a desperate Aggie side who cut a once 18-point deficit to four. He struggled offensively in the first half, but with the game on the line, he willed the Wildcats to another Sweet 16 under coach Tommy Lloyd.
The Big Ten reigns supreme
The Big 12 and the SEC have arguments as the current best conference in college basketball, but where they falter is in depth. The Big 12 has three teams on the No. 1 and 2 seed lines, all still alive and some of the favorites to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. But that’s all that remains in the top-heavy Big 12. The SEC, while still great, came back down to Earth after a tremendous year last season.
Of the 16 teams remaining, six of them call the Big Ten home. That’s two more than next highest conference. Iowa took down No. 1 seed Florida, the reigning national champions and the SEC’s current headliner. Nebraska is currently having its best season in its long history, winning its first NCAA Tournament game along the way.
IOWA STUNS FLORIDA WITH A LAST SECOND THREE 🤯
THIS TOURNAMENT 🤩
Watch March Madness on TNT Sports pic.twitter.com/Z9KR3Bn8lT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 23, 2026
The others — Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois — are all doing what they usually do: make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
While improbable, the sheer number of Big Ten teams remaining still allows the possibility of a Final Four comprised entirely of members from the conference.
Darius Acuff Jr. is inevitable
The SEC Player of the Year and member of the AP All-American First Team has continued to showcase why he will be one of the most sought-after players in the upcoming NBA Draft. The way he carries himself and his talent level are unmatched, and with BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson knocked out of the tournament, Acuff Jr. is arguably the best player remaining.
Darius Acuff in tonight’s win:
36 points
6 assists
11-22 FG
3-6 3PT
11-13 FTpic.twitter.com/O0p7bfFJlo— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 22, 2026
A battle against No. 1 seed Arizona and Jaden Bradley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, awaits. Can Acuff Jr. lead his team — Carmelo Anthony style — to an Elite Eight? It’s tough to say, but either way, it’ll be must-see TV.
Older coaches still have the juice
In this new age of college basketball, it’s easy to overlook the older guys. Younger coaches with new styles of play have emerged to take over the sport.
But hold your horses because the game is timeless.
The Sweet 16 will feature numerous future Hall of Fame coaches, many of whom are in the latter years of their coaching careers. Rick Barnes, Kelvin Sampson, Rick Pitino, John Calipari and Tom Izzo, all legends in their own right, lead proud programs hungry for more. Calipari and Pitino, away from the schools they’re known for, have rejuvenated new programs in a short amount of time.
Old coaches can’t survive in the new era of college basketball.
Sweet Sixteen coaches:
Rick Pitino (73 years old)
Tom Izzo (71)
Rick Barnes (71)
Kelvin Sampson (70)
John Calipari (67) pic.twitter.com/scUU89zP9s— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) March 23, 2026
Calipari, 67 years old, has taken Arkansas back-to-back Sweet 16’s in his first two seasons at the helm.
Pitino, in his third season at the once-overlooked St. John’s, has led the Johnnies to their first Sweet 16 since 1999.
It’s the remaining No. 1 seeds tournament to lose
Arizona, Duke and Michigan — the remaining No. 1 seeds — all sit within .01 of each other in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin, all over three points higher than Houston, the team that sits in fourth.
The first team to advance to the Sweet 16
The Michigan Wolverines 〽️ pic.twitter.com/zddM4mghws
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 21, 2026
All have shown signs of weakness during the first two rounds, but it never felt like they’d let it slip away. Those are the markings of true elite teams.
There isn’t a true favorite in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but it’s theirs to lose.
